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“Islanders, visitors and businesses on Scilly are desperate to know when the new service will be up and running, but a judicial review can take months to even get to court, let alone be resolved,” said Tresco owner Robert Dorrien-Smith, who is behind the proposals to reinstate the Isles of Scilly helicopter service.

Robert Dorrien-Smith, who is behind the scheme to build a new heliport

“To us this uncertainty and cost to the taxpayer is totally unacceptable and therefore the best course of action is to consent to judgment and submit an amended application.

“This will allow us to address any issues the judge indicated could be arguable, save Cornwall rate-payers money and bring about a quicker resolution to this project that the islands are so desperate to see come to fruition.”

The initial planning application gained the greatest volume of support the council has ever received for an application.

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Cornwall Council gave the application to build a new heliport in Penzance - across the way from the previous site - unanimous backing after hearing it could mean a £6 million boost to the local economies.

But while thousands supported the scheme by writing to Cornwall Council, the Isles of Scillly Steamship Company (SSC) said that the decision was flawed and failed to take into account the long-term impact to transport on the fragile island economy.

The potential site of the proposed heliport in Penzance

Andrew May, chairman of the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company (SSC), said the long-term impact on sustainable transport to the islands must be put under the microscope.

Those involved in the heliport project believe that the judicial review has “already created months of uncertainty for the Scilly community”, and that Cornwall Council would face considerable legal costs defending the planning decision.

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In June Mr Dorrien-Smith said: "We remain disappointed that the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company has taken this move but are absolutely convinced that Cornwall Council's decision was the right one and that this will be reflected in the outcome of the case."

Mr Dorrien-Smith, who is backing the £2 million scheme, then dismissed the SSC - which currently has an effective monopoly on transport to Scilly - as employing delaying tactics and said he was determined to see it through.

A petition against the judicial review has received nearly 9,000 signatures.

Helicopter services to Scilly started in 1963 from Land’s End aerodrome and relocated to Eastern Green, Penzance in 1964, where the service operated until 2012.